Shirt-waist fitter.



M. E. BUCKLEY.

SHIRT WAIST FITTER.

APPLICATION FILED FEHZV, 1902.

N0 MODEL.

wi nesses: fl I 76k:

7 m4, nn 2e ,7 we 7 J) I MA A Q Jig,

w: Norm-s PEYERS co. mo omno msmuomw. D.c

UNITED STATES PATENT FFIQE.

MINNIE E. BUOKLEY, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

SHIRT-WAIST FITTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Batent No. 725,035, dated April 14, 1903.

' Application filed February 27, 1902. Serial No. 95,963- (No model l To all whom it ntay concern.-

Be it known that I, MINNIE E. BUCKLEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at 3905 West Belle Place, St. Louis, Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Shirt-Waist Fitters, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved shirt-wai'st fitter, and Fig. 2 is a view showing the same attached to the bottom edge of a shirt-waist.

This invention relates to a new and useful improvement in a shirt-waist fitter, the object being to construct the same in a simple and cheap manner, so as toenable it to be applied in position by any person. When the-device is in position on a shirt-waist, the waist is held firmly in the band of the skirt and is prevented from rising.

' My invention consists in the construction, arrangement, and combination of the several parts, all as will hereinafter be described and afterward pointed out in the claims.

In Fig. 1 I have shown my improved device detached from the shirt-waist; but I will say that in the application thereof it is designed to be secured to the back of the shirt-waist at a point approximately opposite the side seams of the waist, which would be substantially at the points indicated by the lines 2 in Fig. 1.

3 indicates the wall of a pocket in the form of a piece of tape stitched along each edge and at one end to the inner face of the back of my improved shirt-waist fitter. This pocket is designed to receive a piece of whalebone, steel, or other flexible material, (indicated at 4,) the same being shown outside of the pocket in Fig. 1. I11 attaching the band in position on a shirt waist it is secured by vertical stitches along the lines 2, close to the side seams of the shirt-waist, and then by stitches 5 and 6 along its top and bottom edges around to a point adjacent the pocket 3, where the top stitches 5 terminate, so as to leave the upper edge of the band free opposite the pocket containing the flexible strip, while the stitches 6 at the lower edge continue and secure the lower edge of the band to the shirt-waist across the back.

WVhen the device is in position on a shirtwaist, the skirt (indicated at 7) is provided with one or more hooks 8, which are designed to engage the upper free edge of the band, I

and in this manner not only is the skirt supported in position, but the back of the shirt waist is held inside of the skirt-band.

So far as the above construction is con-- cerned it is substantially the same as that illustrated in United States PatentNo. 666,464, granted to me January 22, 1901.

My present invention is designed as animprovement upon the construction of my former patent and relates principally to the forward ends of the band or belt, which, as shown in Fig. 1, are free from the lines 2. One of these ends, which for the sake of distinction will be indicated by the numeral 9, is provided with two tabs 10 and 11, preferably secured in position on the end 9 through the medium of an eyelet 12. The tab 10 carries a buckle 13 at its free end for cooperating with a tab 14, secured to'the forward portion of the opposite end of the belt, (indicated at 15,) which forwardly-projecting free end of the belt lies under the said buckle 13 and serves as a shield to prevent soiling the clothing from the buckle 13 in case of rusting thereof. In order to hold the belt snugly down in front and to prevent the shirtwaist from rising in front, the tab 11 is used as a securing medium by passing through a buckle 16, attached in some suitable manner, preferably to the lower forward edge of the corset of the wearer. As an underskirt is usually worn over the corset and as the lower edge of the shirt-waist is outside of the underskirt, it is obvious that any direct connection between the corset and the tab 11 or the forward end of the belt could be made onlyby passing the attaching medium through an opening in the nnderskirt. However, I do not desire to mutilate'the underskirt, and to avoid such mutilation I utilize a tab 1'7, which is secured by one of the clasps of the corset at its lower edge. This tab extends upwardly from its point of attachment to the corset, as

shown, and the wearer may, through the medium of a pin, suchas a safety-pin 18, upon which the buckle 16 is mounted, secure the buckle 16 to the upper end of the tab 17 by passing the pin 18 through the underskirt and through the upper end of said tab from the outside. When the buckle 16 is in position, it is obvious that after the tab 14 is secured in-the buckle 13 the tab 11 can be passed through the buckle 16 and the front of the belt pulled down as tight as desired in position. The above construction contemplates the forward ends of the belt being free from the lines 2 or approximately from the side seams of the shirt-waist. In some instances it may be desired to secure the forward ends 9 and 15 of the belt to the lower edge of the shirt-waist, as indicated by the stitching 19 and 20. In this event the tabs 10 and 14 would be free for engagement, as before described, as would also be the tab 11. By the construction shown in Fig. 2, and which has just been described, the lower edge of the shirt-waist in front would be held down inside the waistband of the skirt by the tab 11, as above described, and the lower edge at the back of the shirt-waist would be held down by the books on the waistband of the overskirt.

I am aware that many minor changes in the construction, arrangement, and combination of the several parts of my device can be made and substituted for those herein shown and described without in theleast departing from the nature and principle of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. A belt, two tabs secured to said belt at one end, one of said tabs being adapted to extend from its point of attachment substantially vertically downwardly, the other of said tabs adapted to extend obliquely upwardly, a buckle on the free end of said second tab, a tab on the opposite end of said belt whereby a shield is provided thereat, and one of the end portions thereof is adapted to engage with said buckle, and means adapted to engage the vertical tab and to draw the same downwardly; substantially as described.

2. A belt of sufficient length to substantially encircle the waist of its wearer, two tabs secured to said belt at one end, one of said tabs being adapted to extend from its point of attachment substantially vertically downwardly, the other of said tabs adapted to extend obliquely upwardly, a buckle on the free end of said second tab, a tab on the opposite end of said belt whereby a shield is provided thereat, and one of the end portions thereof is adapted to engage with said buckle, and means adapted to engage the vertical tab and to draw the same downwardly; substantially as described.

3. A belt, two tabs secured by a single eyelet to said belt at one end, one of said tabs being adapted to extend from its point of attachment substantially. vertically down wardly, the other of said tabs adapted to extend obliquely upwardly, a buckle on the free end of said second tab, a tab on the opposite end of said belt whereby a shield is provided thereat, and one of the end portions thereof is adapted to engage with said buckle, and means adapted to engage the vertical tab and to draw the same downwardly; substantially as described.

4. A belt, two tabs secured to said belt at one end, one of said tabs being adapted to extend from its point of attachment substantially vertically downwardly, the other of said tabs adapted to extend obliquely upwardly, a buckle on the free end of said second tab, a tab on the opposite end of said belt whereby a shield is provided thereat, and one of the end portions thereof is adapted to engage with said buckle, and a tab with a buckle thereon adapted to engage the vertical tab and to draw the same downwardly; substantially as described.

5. A belt, two tabs secured to said belt at one end, one of said tabs being adapted to extend from its point of attachment substantially vertically downwardly, the other of said tabs adapted to extend obliquely upwardly, a buckle on the free end of said second tab, a tab on the opposite end of said belt whereby a shield is provided thereat, and one of the end portions thereof is adapted to engage with said buckle, and a tab with a removable buckle thereon adapted to engage the vertical tab and to draw the same downwardly; substantial-1y as described.

6. A belt of sufficient length to substantially encircle the waist of its wearer, two tabs secured by a single eyelet to said belt at one end, one of said tabs being adapted to extend from its point ofattachment substantially vertically downwardly, the other of said tabs'adapted to extend obliquely upwardly, a buckle on the free end of said sec- ICC ond tab, a tab on the opposite end of said belt whereby a shield is provided thereat and one of the end portions thereof is adapted to engage with said buckle,-and means adapted to engage the vertical'tab and to draw the same downwardly;substantiallyas described.

7. A belt of sufficient length to substantially encircle the waist of its wearer, two tabs secured by a single eyelet tosaid belt at one end, one of said tabs being adapted to extend from its point of attachment substantially vertically downwardly, the other of said tabs adapted to extend obliquely upwardly, a buckle on the free end of said second tab, a tab on the opposite end of said belt whereby a shield is provided thereat and one of the end portions thereof is adapted to engage with said buckle, and a tab with a buckle thereon adapted to engage the vertical tab and to draw the same downwardly; substantially as described.

8. A belt, a pocket therein, a stiffening in said pocket, two tabs secured to said belt at one end, one of said tabs being adapted to ed to engage the vertical tab and to draw the 10 extend from its point of attachment substansame downwardly; substantially as described. I tially vertically downwardly, the other of In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my said tabs adapted to extend obliquely upsignature, in the presence of two Witnesses, Wardly, a buckle on the free end of said seothis 18th day of February, 1902.

0nd tab, a tab on the opposite end of said MINNIE E. BUCKLEY. belt whereby a shield is provided thereat, Witnesses: and one of the end portions thereof is adapted GEORGE BAKEWELL,

to engage with said buckle, and means adapt- G. A. PENNINGTON. 

